What happens when simple bass ideas meet real soul and feel
Jon Liebman
December 11, 2025
Some bass lines grab you right from the first note — not because they’re busy or flashy, but because they just feel so good. And few people proved that better than soul bass legend Tommy Cogbill. He could take the simplest idea and make it sound soulful, warm, and instantly recognizable.
After seeing the strong response to my Duck Dunn lesson a couple of weeks ago, I got to thinking about that whole world of R&B and soul bass playing — lines that groove hard even when the notes are few. Naturally, Tommy’s name came up right away.
If you’ve listened to Aretha Franklin, King Curtis, Wilson Pickett, or so many other classics, you’ve heard Tommy’s touch. What’s so cool is how often he used basic, uncomplicated patterns and made them sound completely alive. No tricks. No heavy theory. Just great feel and a deep sense of pocket.
In this week’s Essence of Groove video, I’ll show you a simple approach that works beautifully in this style — one you can get under your fingers quickly — and how you can use it to create your own soulful grooves.
Watch the video, then leave a comment below with your takeaways.
Let’s play bass!
—Jon
